Crafty Makeover: Table and Bench Set

A while back I decided to makeover my table and bench set (above). The set had belonged to my grandparents and my parents before me. One day my dad mentioned that the pieces had once been a natural wood and that they would "look nice," if I refinished them. I took a look at the tired paint job and the sad, yellow, gingham oilcloth and thought that it was a great idea.

Boy, did I get myself into a major project. It took three weekends to complete the transformation. One reason that it took so long was that I could not disassemble the benches after years and years of painting (the table legs come off easily with wing nuts). Another problem was that I was coerced into buying an eco-friendly paint stripper.


Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you: Buy the terrible, awful chemicals when stripping several layers of paint. Almost all of my household products are environmentally-sound and non-toxic, but, me oh my, the Ready Strip paint stripper just didn't work. I followed package directions to the letter and according to the manufacturer "the surface turns off-white or pale green when the paint or varnish is ready to be removed." I waited... And I waited... And I waited... No color change. So, I went at it with the scraper, but the paint wasn't budging.

The next day I went to Home Depot and demanded the strongest paint stripper in the store. (I probably could have used something a little less toxic, but after the ineffective green one, I wanted something that would work.) The regular product worked like a charm, but scraping the paint off of the furniture is still detailed, time-consuming work.

Finally, I was at a point where I could sand the surfaces. I used an electric palm sander for the flat surfaces and then a sanding block for the crevices. With everything sanded I used a cloth dampened with mineral spirits to remove the sanding dust. Then I let it dry out over night.

To finish the wood I used a clear, gloss polyurethane (I used an oil-based finish for its longevity). Two coats were enough to give my table a nice, sealed finish.

In part two of this post, I will tell you how I re-covered the fabric portions of the set and ask for your advice on picking a new fabric. (As much as I love the Amy Butler print, I recovered these a while back and the fabric is starting to show some fading.)

For more D.I.Y. inspiration, check out this bookshelf makeover and this fabric-covered magnet board.